Category: Singles/Tracks

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Deerful “City Bells” (2015)

Deerful - City Bells

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

It seems like there is this big group of friends making all the great indiepop Christmas tunes in the world. It begins somewhere between London’s Darren Hayman and Norway’s Sunturns, creating an overlapping venn diagram that I really should make someday. The latest wonderful example sprouts from Emma Winston, a frequent collaborator within the London indiepop scene. Her first effort under the name Deerful is the very lovely “City Bells,” which recently premiered on For the Rabbits + the Scared to Dance Podcast (which I really loved yesterday). You could not wish for a more soothing, beautiful, snow-filled day 24 hours in Cambridge. It captures a perfect moment in late December, the city in lights, and holds it close as a memory to cherish.

Bottom Line: This song is like a warm blanket on a chilly winter night.

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The Cave Singers “Christmas Night” (2015)

Cave Singers - Banshee

Self Released
Buy: Stream | Bandcamp

Seattle’s the Cave Singers‘ fifth album, Banshee, is slated to be released in February, but that hasn’t kept them from releasing (well, streaming) their Christmas song, “Christmas Night!” I almost feel silly writing about it, since it has been mentioned in a number of much, much, much higher-profile venues such as KEXP, where it debuted, and Stereogum. However, the song is just too good to ignore.

Yeah a change might come alright
To go and live a different way
That’s the only thing I haven’t done
See it’s a strange little life
You going to make it in time

The song has us looking out at the world, seeing an experience that isn’t ours. When presented with bitterness and fear, you instead discover love and hope. As frontman Pete Quirk said about this song, “I guess it’s hard for fear to play you like a puppet, with love in your heart.” Beautiful.

Bottom Line: The complicated optimism of “Christmas Night” makes me think of the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life; There is a thoughtfulness to the optimism that isn’t all-too-sweet, and I appreciate that tremendously. If I were the Cave Singers, I might open up this song for purchase ahead of the album; It is good enough to buy twice! They’ve got it for purchase on Bandcamp!

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Early Cartographers featuring Kid Conventional “What Will You Open? (An Invitation to Christmas)” (2015)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

I’ve been following Sheffield’s Early Cartographers‘ Christmas single creation on Facebook for a while now, awaiting its debut. From tweets that I’ve seen, I knew it was going to be a bit of tearjerker. Indeed, “What Will You Open? (An Invitation to Christmas),” walks amongst those songs that ponder the meaning of it all… let them explain:

This song is an invitation to Christmas. It was written by a notorious grinch and attempts to take into consideration those who find Christmas a difficult time to stomach, whether that be due to apathy, unhappy memories, poverty, disillusionment or social anxiety.

I know that St. Etienne has recently sparked a discussion amongst my fellow indie Christmas brothers and sisters with their suggestion that Christmas songs must be “pro-Christmas.” I think that is far too simplistic an approach for what can be a very complicated time of year. If any of you have seen the excellent documentary Jingle Bell Rocks!, you’ll see that Mitchell’s love of Christmas music was forged by hearing a song that wasn’t all jingle bells and tinsel, Nat King Cole’s “The Boy the Santa Claus Forgot.” In that song, he discovered that he wasn’t alone with his conflicted feelings toward Christmas, and through that relationship, has embraced the holiday for everything that it truly is, not simply the “joy.”

“What Will You Open” is one of those songs that spark contemplation, and I appreciate this. I don’t want every song to be Christmas-party appropriate; Some songs need to tug and poke at your emotions to bring balance to the season. I think it’s all too appropriate that such a song would also be benefiting HARC (Homeless and Rootless at Christmas). Christmas isn’t Christmas for everyone, but throw a few bucks toward a great Christmas song and a worthy cause, and you’ll be a bit closer to making this Christmas a little brighter.

Bottom Line: Gorgeous instrumentation, thoughtful sentiment and a worthy cause make this Early Cartographers track well worth the wait.

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Crying Day Care Choir “Once a Year” (2015)

Christmas Day Care Choir Vol. 2

Self Released?
Buy: Bandcamp | Soundcloud (Free!)

The folk troupe Crying Day Care Choir have previously been featured on this blog, and will continue to be featured until the end of time. They have a second Christmas EP lined up to drop next week, and thankfully they have left a wonderful trail of breadcrumbs for us to gobble up until that time. Just premiering on the Swedish blog Beingblogged, “Once a Year” is the kind of wonderful Christmas song that I just LOVE to put on a mix. Not only is the music wonderful, but the lyrics are amazing. “Do a sleigh ride , next to a hayride, during Gay Pride in July”

If I wasn’t feeling so damn poor… I want to buy their (nonseasonal) LPs so bad! RIGHT NOW! Please save me one!!!

Bottom Line: Perfect Swedish indie folk. That is nearly my favorite genre, done as well as any band could ever hope to.  (Its official, killing the rating system to give myself sanity, but damn this is good).

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The Grubby Mitts “Come on Home for Christmas” (2014)

Grubby Mitts - Come On Home for Christmas

Lost Toys Records
Buy: Free!

“I know you really want me / I know you really want me / so come on home / it’s Christmas darling / so come on home. / I’ve seen the way you look at him, / all bleary-eyed and doughly-lipped. / Yeah, I’ve seen the way you look at him. / And you’re so cruel to him, / when it’s me you want / So come on home.”

“Come on Home for Christmas,” takes a very direct approach to the “it’s Christmas, please come home” trope. I don’t think I’ve heard a narrator have at one time have such a sad tone, but such confident lyrics; The vocal delivery is perfection. The walking piano and drums that lay the rhythm set a beautiful scene for all the instrumentation that creeps in by the second verse, and when you do notice, it’s damn beautiful. The Grubby Mitts recorded “Come on Home for Christmas” for Tom Ravenscroft’s BBC 6Music festive programme last year, so it was a late-season release that may have gotten overlooked by some who try to get their mix done early (like me!). Thankfully, they also released the track on Soundcloud for free download.

Bottom Line: Really an interesting, beautiful song that finds a new way to say “Baby, come home for Christmas.” 4.8/5

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Sweet Baboo “Don’t Be Alone (This Christmas)” (2015)

Moshi Moshi
Buy: Bandcamp | Moshi Moshi (MP3/LP) | iTunes UK | Amazon.UK (LP) | Amazon.DE (LP)

Welsh artist Sweet Baboo is no stranger to Christmas tunes, having appeared on Bubblewrap Collective’s 12 Days of Christmas in 2009. I dug that track, but not nearly as much as this BEAUTY. To be officially released in February on the Dennis EP (named after Dennis Wilson no doubt), Sweet Baboo channels the best parts of the Beach Boys (the Wilsons) and lets us know that even Santa needs someone to call. The ending brings resounding joy in a wall of sound. Everyone needs someone to love.

Bottom Line: I think I’ve listened to this song about 15 times today. For one day only, available as a free download here. Still free.. now via Bandcamp. 5/5

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Premiere: The Ornaments “The Ornaments Won’t Hang Themselves (Alone For The Holidays)” (2015)

The Ornaments Won't Hang Themselves

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Yet another premiere! You may remember the Ornaments are the annual, non-religious Christmas music project of Mike Behrends and Lance Owens. They put out a fantastic square, lathe-cut 7″ & download last year, beginning a project specifically meant to get these two friends together. They swore to release a Christmas 7″ and play one show from now until to the end of time. Now… I have to warn everyone that time has indeed stopped, for the Ornaments are download-only this year, thus signaling the end of time to the rest of the world. However, I do not hold it against this fine band, for they have added yet another interesting Christmas song to their burgeoning Christmas portfolio. “The Ornaments Won’t Hang Themselves (Alone for the Holidays)” has lovely, simple orchestration – programmed beats, hammond organ, some guitar, bells and synths. I really, really enjoy the melody; it has certainly wormed its way in my head. The subject matter trades in, as the title suggests, the melancholy of Christmas. Let the Ornaments describe it…

Christmas isn’t as wonderfully fun and family-filled as we are all led to believe in old holiday movies and songs. Especially for our fictional protagonist from Cadott, Wisconsin, whose girl has left him alone with a car that can’t make it through the snow and a garage full of Christmas decorations they used to put up together. All he wants is one more Christmas dance. Is that too much to ask?

Sad, yet lovely. I think I like the ending the best.

Bottom Line: This is one of those songs to sit back with a glass of spiked eggnog, and sink into as if it were a short story. 4.5/5

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Premiere: Young War “Winter in the City” (2015)

Young War - Winter in the City

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

HOW ABOUT THIS?!? Our first premiere, and a whopper at that! Manchester R&B duo Young War‘s “I Won’t Come Back For Christmas” was a highlight of the 2014 Christmas season, and Christmas Underground is proud to present their beautiful new track, “Winter in the City.” The duo of Thom Stone and Simon Facey have found their own rich vein of Christmas longing, and continue to mine it expertly. “Winter in the City” leans more toward Young War’s R&B roots than last year’s track, and the sparse beats, ringing guitar lines and beautiful melody perfectly compliment the conflicted narrator’s sense of yearning and loss: “I’m losing my mind and I tried to warn you. / Now you’re spending Christmas in California. / I can’t be sad, I don’t have the right, / but when it started to snow, I think I started to cry.” Young War create an atmosphere which envelops the listener to walk the city streets alone, snow dancing in the moonlight, missing the one you love. Just plain beautiful.

Bottom Line: Young War + Christmas = Perfection. This is modern R&B Christmas at its finest. This song deserves a wide audience, so join me and spread its reach far and wide. 5/5

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Communist Daughter “Blue Spruce Needles” (2015)

Communist Daughter - Blue Spruce Needles

Self Released
Buy: 7Digital (FLAC/MP3) | Amazon MP3 | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.fr MP3

St. Paul, Minnesota’s Communist Daughter certainly have a thing for sad, sad Christmas songs. They recently played a gig billed as “singing the most depressing Christmas songs they know.” YES! I like this band! Thankfully, they have recorded one proper, sad Christmas song with a lovely cover of The Boy Least Likely To’s “Blue Spruce Needles.” The male/female harmonies are absolutely perfect for the song as if they were always meant to be there. Further delving into their choices – the slower pace of the song, and the sparse instrumentation – Communist Daughter has made this song feel wholly different from the original and beautiful in its own right. I believe that TBLLT would have to agree…

Bottom Line: Communist Daughter may have covered a song., but they uncovered its true soul. How about a download? 🙂 4.7/5

EDIT: They do have a download option now! They released a 4-song Christmas EP, Sing Sad Christmas, available at most digital outlets!

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Elizabeth Morris “The Season” (2015)

Elizabeth Morris - Athens

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Allo Darlin‘s Elizabeth Morris has released a 4-track EP today, Athens, and there is a special holiday treat for us at the end. Elizabeth describes “The Season” as “a song about trying to be a better friend at Christmas.” Indeed, it is just that. A touching song about a friends that you might not see because of time, distance or simply life, but have the kind of connection that is as important as family. I hope you all have someone like that.

Bottom Line: Beautiful as always, Elizabeth. On a side note, should I just rebrand Christmas Underground as an Allo Darlin’ fansite?

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